With the development of communication technology, users can enjoy various types of content such as moving pictures, speech, and data through many channels. Moreover, with the development of satellite communication technology, more channels can be provided for users, and a user searches a channel list for his/her favorite channel.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a conventional method of searching for a channel. It is assumed that a user searches for a broadcast channel to view a digital broadcast.
A digital television (TV) acquires a list of receivable channels using a function such as an automatic channel scan in operation S110. Here, if the digital TV has a function that makes a favorite channel list, a user can make and store a favorite channel list in the digital TV separately from the entire receivable channel list. In addition, if the digital TV has a function of channel recommendation, a recommended channel list may be made using a user's channel selection information and stored in the digital TV. The receivable channel list acquired in operation S110 includes the favorite channel list made by the user or the recommended channel list made using a channel recommendation engine.
Thereafter, a channel to which the digital TV is tuned when the user turns on the digital TV is set, and the channel is allocated to a variable “current_CH” in operation S120. Here, the variable current_CH indicates a channel that the user is currently watching.
When the user moves to a subsequent channel using a remote control of the digital TV or functional buttons on a panel of the digital TV, a value of current_CH is set to a subsequent channel number on the receivable channel list, and the set value is transmitted to the tuner in operations S130, S150, and S170. If the user moves to a previous channel, the value of current_CH is set to a previous channel number on the receivable channel list, and the set value is transmitted to the turner in operations S140, S160, and S170. According to information regarding the current channel transmitted to the turner, a program broadcast through the current channel is displayed on a screen of the digital TV, and the user may select a channel-up or channel-down function in operation S130 or S140 again.